Suspect vehicle with military weapons discovered near synagogue in Sarcelles, counter-terrorism investigation opened
A car containing a military-type weapon was discovered on Saturday evening in Sarcelles, in an area with a large Jewish population. 300 people were evacuated and a terrorism investigation is underway.
Suspect vehicle with military weapons discovered near synagogue in Sarcelles, counter-terrorism investigation opened
A suspect vehicle containing weapons was found parked in Sarcelles, in the Parisian suburbs, in immediate proximity to a synagogue. The alert was raised on Saturday evening, triggering the evacuation of three hundred people and the deployment of a substantial security operation.
According to Interior Minister Laurent Nunez, cited by BFMTV, law enforcement discovered in the vehicle a weapon "of military standard" as well as a handgun. Bomb disposal experts were mobilised on site, but no explosives were found inside the car.
The neighbourhood in question, located in a particularly busy area, was sealed off in the early evening. A cinema and several restaurants had to be emptied of their occupants as a precautionary measure.
The national counter-terrorism prosecution office has opened an investigation for "terrorist criminal association with a view to preparing crimes, including attacks on persons". The magistrates are also investigating facts relating to the "transport, possession and acquisition of weapons in connection with a terrorist enterprise".
The motivations of the alleged perpetrators remain unknown at this stage. "We do not yet know the motivations," Laurent Nunez declared, specifying that those responsible had not yet been identified.
This case comes in a context of heightened vigilance. The Interior Minister recalled that three attack plots had been thwarted since the beginning of the year in France, including an attempt targeting a French police officer under the Arc de Triomphe in February.
Source: Politiken
Source: Politiken